Jarret Stoll's felony charge dismissed in plea deal

ByKatie Strang ESPN logo
Thursday, June 25, 2015

The felony cocaine charge filed against NHL forward Jarret Stoll has been dismissed in a plea deal with prosecutors.

Instead, Stoll pleaded guilty to two misdemeanors (one count of provoking commission of breach of peace and one count of trespass) stemming from his arrest in Las Vegas in April. Stoll was arrested on April 17 for possession of cocaine and MDMA while at a pool party on an unofficial end-of-season trip with his Los Angeles Kings teammates.

He has 120 days to complete 32 hours of community service. He will be splitting time working with the Salvation Army and organizing a hockey program for at-risk youths in the Las Vegas area.

Stoll, represented by attorney David Z. Chesnoff, is due to next appear in court on Aug. 27 to update his progress in completing the community service.

"Now that the case has been resolved, I am committed to meeting all of my obligations to the court and am grateful for the chance to offer guidance and share positive life lessons to kids as part of the resolution of this matter," Stoll said in a statement. "My focus remains on hockey, and I am looking forward to getting back on the ice next season."

Stoll, 33, is not expected to return to the Kings. He will become an unrestricted free agent July 1.

Neither of the two misdemeanors are drug-related charges, however, so any potential immigration issues for the Canadian-born Stoll should no longer be an impediment should a team want to sign the veteran center.

Stoll was not the only member of the Kings to find himself in legal trouble this season. Stoll's teammate Slava Voynov is currently awaiting trial on a felony domestic violence charge for allegedly assaulting his wife in October.

The Kings recently suspended Voynov for suffering a non-hockey-related injury while he was sitting out the season during his league-mandated suspension.

The Kings gained cap relief by suspending Voynov, as his cap charge now comes off the books.